Geography of the Faroe Islands

thumb|Satellite image of the Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are an island group consisting of eighteen islands between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic, about half-way between Iceland and Norway. Its coordinates are . It is 1,393 square kilometres in area, and includes small lakes and rivers, but no major ones. There are 1,117 kilometres of coastline, and no land boundaries with any other country.

thumb|right|Detailed map of the Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands generally have cool summers and cool to cold winters, with a usually overcast sky and frequent fog and strong winds. Although at a high latitude, due to the Gulf Stream their climate is ameliorated. The islands are rugged and rocky with some low peaks; the coasts are mostly bordered by cliffs. The Faroe Islands are notable for having the highest sea cliffs in Europe, and some of the highest in the world otherwise. The lowest point is at sea level, and the highest is at Slættaratindur, which is 882 metres above sea level. The landscape made roadbuilding difficult, and only recently has this been remedied by building tunnels.

Many of the Faroese islands tend to be elongated in shape. Natural resources include fish and hydropower.

Statistics

thumb|left|Map including the Faroe Islands

; Geographic coordinates:

:* North: Enniberg, 62°29′,2 N

:* South: Sumbiarsteinur, 61°21′,6 N

:* West: Gáadrangur, 7°40′,1 W

:* East: Stapin, 6°21′,5 W

; Area:

:* Land: 1,393 km²

:* Water: 7.19 km² (the area includes 10 of the largest lakes. There are a number of smaller lakes and streams.)

; Land boundaries:

: 0 km

; Coastline:

: 1,117 km

; Maritime claims:

:* Territorial sea:

:* Continental shelf: or agreed boundaries or median line

:* Exclusive economic zone: or agreed boundaries or median line

; Climate:

: Subarctic oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfc) moderated by North Atlantic Current; long, mild, windy winters; short, cool summers, damp in the South and West. Arctic climate (Köppen ET) in some mountains.

; Terrain:

: Rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast. The coasts are deeply indented with fjords, and the narrow passages between islands are agitated by strong tidal currents. Multiple sea stacks exist along the coast.

; Elevation extremes:

:* Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

:* Highest point: Slættaratindur 880 m

; Natural resources:

: Fish, whales, hydropower, wind, possible petroleum and natural gas

; Land use:

:* Arable land: 2.14%

:* Permanent crops: 0%

:* Other: 97.86% (2012)

; Environment—international agreements:

: Marine dumping

thumb|left|View of the west coast of [[Suðuroy]]

Climate

The climate is classed as subpolar oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfc), with areas having a tundra climate, especially in the mountains, although some coastal or low-lying areas may have very mild-winter versions of a tundra climate. The overall character of the climate of the islands is influenced by the strong warming influence of the Atlantic Ocean, which produces the North Atlantic Current. This, together with the remoteness of any source of landmass-induced warm or cold airflows, ensures that winters are mild (mean temperature 3.0 to 4.0 °C or 37 to 39 °F) while summers are cool (mean temperature 9.5 to 11.2 °C or 49 to 52 °F).

The islands are windy, cloudy and cool throughout the year with an average of 210 rainy or snowy days per year. The islands lie in the path of depressions moving northeast, making strong winds and heavy rain possible at all times of the year. Sunny days are rare and overcast days are common. Hurricane Faith struck the Faroe Islands on 5 September 1966 with sustained winds over 100 mph (160 km/h) and only then did the storm cease to be a tropical system.

left|thumb|An October evening on [[Eysturoy]]

Due to the altitude, ocean currents, topography, and winds, the islands exhibit a variety of microclimates. Precipitation varies considerably throughout the archipelago. In some highland areas, snow cover may last for months with snowfalls possible for the greater part of the year (on the highest peaks, summer snowfall is by no means rare), while in some sheltered coastal locations, several years pass without any snowfall whatsoever.

thumb|right|Hvalvik, Streymoy island, April 2022

Tórshavn receives frosts more often than other areas just a short distance to the south. Snow is also seen at a much higher frequency than outlying islands nearby. The area receives on average 49 frosts a year.

While receiving more frost than most of the Faroe Islands, Mykines is more temperate in the winter than nearby Vágar. Snow is also less common despite the relatively lower winter temperatures due to the relatively low precipitation in the area. It also has a very mild tundra climate bordering on subpolar oceanic. Frost occurs on 46 days in an average year

Akraberg is milder than much of the Faroe Islands and experiences frost on 38 days in an average year,